


Jeepney

by DeliriousPenman



Category: Attack on Titan
Genre: Filipino AU, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3942307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeliriousPenman/pseuds/DeliriousPenman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I looked at the entrance of the vehicle. It was the usual commuters - students, people going to their jobs and the like.</p><p>But then here was a beautiful man who climbed in, a man with smooth, pale skin, black parted hair and unbelievably bewitching gray eyes.<br/>Maybe I stared too much to be polite. Maybe just a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jeepney

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, so please go easy on me!  
> Since this is a Filipino AU, be warned that there are a few words in Filipino. But worry not, I will have translations at the end notes.  
> This is loosely based off a Yeng Constantino song. I don't remember the title, though.

Marikina, Philippines, 2015

 

I moved my face away from the black smoke a broken-down jeep belched when it passed. I held in my breath and swiped my hand against the smoke until the air was at least breathable again. My sister, unfazed by the smoke, shielded her eyes from the blazing sun with her hand as she looked at both sides of the road, looking for some jeepneys heading to Riverbanks Center. 

After receiving news of a shoe sale in Riverbanks center via tarpaulin, she told me to change my clothes the moment she stepped foot home. She changed her clothes in a blink of an eye, all the while explaining that her running shoes were all worn out and she planned on buying two of them, since it was a ‘buy one take one’ deal. 

I asked her if I really needed to go, reasoning that I wasn’t up to going out today. But after much persuasion, here I am, sweaty and growing impatient under the blazing sun.

“Eren,” She called, “Keep looking.” She continued, whilst pointing to the opposite side of the road she was looking at.  
I nodded, almost dumb-like, and faced the other way in search of jeepneys.

The sun was hot and the wind was no help; sweat trickled down every inch of my skin and patches of wetness were distinct on my shirt. I looked around to see if anyone was looking at the disgusting display that were my armpits. Seeing the coast is clear, I look a quick peek – it’s even worse than I imagined. I crossed my arms in attempt to hide my sweat-drenched armpits. 

Today is not a good day to commute.

The waiting shed provided for my sister and I some protection from the harsh rays of the high afternoon sun as we looked for the right ride. It was rusty and paint peeled around the edges, not to mention the roof had a few holes in them. It was better than nothing at this point. 

Jeeps stopped and go in front of the shed with barkers loudly babbling which way the jeep was going, but they weren’t the right ones. I sighed for the umpteenth time.  
As time goes on, more and more people left the shed.  
Soon after, it was only Mikasa, and I.

I glanced at her. She was fanning herself with the circular fan that I bought her a few days ago, with her hair tied up in a loose high bun. She scanned the streets diligently, all the while helping herself cool against the damned summer heat. 

I groaned. 

The news said that it was going to be hot – but I never expected it to be this hot.  
If I did know, I would’ve grabbed a fan beforehand.

I never noticed the fan being waved in front of me.  
I suppose that tugging my shirt like a mad man was a good enough clue. I thanked her, and she gave me a ‘I told you that you should’ve brought a fan with you’ kind of look.

A jeep with blaring lights, a rather creative paint job, and loud rap music stopped in front of us, with the barker hanging from the edge of the vehicle.  
Mikasa asked the man if he would pass by Riverbanks, when he said yes, we climbed aboard right away.

We didn’t worry about squeezing in for a seat, since the jeep was mostly empty.

Mikasa pulled out her coin purse from her handbag. She struggled to pick fare from it; the initial go of the vehicle was strong and rough.

“Kuya.” She handed the coins to a student sitting next to her, “Riverbanks. Dalawa galing Fairlane.”*  
The coins were passed on from person to person, from hand to hand, to the driver.  
Without even looking back, he took the fare from the old man behind his seat.

Upon seeing that the fare has reached the driver, my sister relaxed into her seat.  
I relaxed into my seat as well. I knew this was going to be a long ride.

At times like these, I let my mind wander to the passengers. Trying to guess their stories makes them more human to me.

I eye the man on the man behind the driver on the opposite seat – he was an old man in his 70’s , wearing a blue polo and faded blue denim pants. What stuck me most was the flowers in his hand and tired, tired look in his face.

Could he be visiting his dead wife?

 

What could his story be?

What could everybody’s stories be?  
What does the man you bumped into this morning go through everyday?  
Did the little girl with the bruises you saw in the supermarket have abusive parents or was she just clumsy? 

All we can do is guess.

I look at the young lady next to him – she was in a university uniform, with an open book on her lap and a pen in her mouth. She must be studying for a test that’s in an hour or so. Maybe, maybe not, but that’s the fun of guessing. 

I move my focus to the young couple sitting in the corner of the jeep.  
The man wrapped his arms around his love with a bright smile, while the woman in the tight embrace happily gazed at her hands.  
After a few seconds of gazing at her hands, I finally made out a little silver ring.  
They must’ve been recently engaged.

Right after formulating my hypothesis, the jeep came to rough stop.  
I looked at the entrance of the vehicle. It was the usual commuters - students, people going to their jobs and the like.

 

But then there was a beautiful man who climbed in, a man with smooth, pale skin, black parted hair and unbelievably bewitching gray eyes.  
Maybe I stared too much to be polite. Maybe just a little.

He sat down in front of me, reaching into his pocket to pull out a 20 peso bill and handing it to the person next to him. The man sitting next to him looked at him for quite a while.  
“Papuntang Katipunan, kuya,”** He said to the driver with a heavy accent.  
He must be a foreigner. 

I looked at him. Well, more like examined him.  
He was wearing a button up shirt, skinny jeans and rather expensive looking shoes.  
I was weighing the probabilities of him getting mugged until I noticed a ‘I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES’ keychain peeking from his pocket.  
Definitely a tourist. And a high probability of getting mugged.  
But if he were mugged, he probably beat the living shit out of them since I can clearly see a good amount muscle on him. Fuck, I really need to stop staring.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful stranger that is seated in front of me. It must be a regular occurrence for him to be positively gawked at, since he was foreign and handsome.  
Feeling that he must’ve been feeling rather uncomfortable, I glanced at the woman next to me. She had graying hair and a colorful daster, with a wriggly 3 year-old in her arms. The woman sung the song my mother used to sing.

When I was young and still living in the province, my mother would fan Mikasa and I to sleep when there were brownouts. I was a real needy kid, refusing to sleep unless she sung me a lullaby. My mother, being the kind woman she was, always did.

She paid attention to our needs, like asking if I had eaten my vegetables during dinner. That time, it annoyed the shit out of me. I would always talk back to her and tell her how embarrassing she was when she told me ‘I love you’.  
If I had only thought that she was only caring for me when I was little.

They say the good die young - this, unfortunately, was true for my mother.  
I could say that her death was the darkest time of my life. I was filled with bitter regret when I gazed into her casket. Why was I such a little shit? Why didn’t I notice that there was something wrong when I saw her cough and wheeze everyday? I was in such denial, to the point I had to be held on to by my uncle, Hannes, before I made a scene.

During that time my father decided that it would be best that we move to Marikina with my aunt while he worked abroad. Even though I absolutely refused this decision of his, I was forced to say goodbye to my friends and my old home.  
I was displeased, being torn away from everything I’ve ever known.

Before I knew it I was living in my aunts house, my father was working abroad, and Mikasa and I were a 3rd year college students. How time flies.

I suppose I can consider my ‘story-guessing’ a talent. I could say that I guess with ease, but this man has to be one of my biggest challenges yet.  
For now, I know nothing other than he’s foreign, possibly rich and a tourist.  
I see anymore clues- unless I’m not looking hard enough.  
There’s something in him that makes me want to know him more.

I stole a quick glance at his face. He has an apparent bitch-face.  
A man who has gone through many things, perhaps?  
Maybe I didn’t glace at all – because he looked at me straight in the eyes.  
“Shit,” I thought to myself, “That’s what you get when you stare, dipshit.”  
Heat rose to my cheeks I think, all I could feel was heat on my face and flipping stomach.

Fuck it. I think he smirked. 

The jeep sped up, and I was forced to uncross my arms and hold on to the handlebars above my head. Damn jeepney drivers today.  
I forgot all about my armpits, and I threw my arm down from the bar as quick as possible.

I heard a chuckle, a deep and alluring one. There’s only one person I could think of who can laugh like that. I look at the man in front of me.  
He was smiling. Not like a big smile, hell, it didn’t look like a smile at all.  
It was just a small tug of the lips. But that alone got my head spinning.

I crossed my arms and looked down to my shoes. New plan: don’t move, don’t look at him at all, absolutely do not embarrass yourself in front of this stranger.  
After what seemed like an eternity (which was just a few seconds, in fact) I finally decided to get this done and over with. 

No more staring, no more longing, no more guessing.  
I wanted to know who he was.

I was going to introduce myself.

I gulped and tried to keep the butterflies in my stomach from escaping.

I tried to cough to catch his eye, and it worked.

“H-Hey,” I said. This plan was better in my head. Real smooth, Eren. Real smooth.  
It’s now or never at this point. I sucked in a big breath.

“I’m-“

The jeep came to an abrupt stop. “Riverbanks!”, shouted the driver.  
The butterflies inside my stomach died, and my heart sunk.

“Eren.” 

I saw Mikasa lift herself from her seat. “Come on. Nandito na tayo.”***  
Reluctantly, I lifted myself off my seat. 

As I neared the entrance, I took one last glance at the man.

**Author's Note:**

> * "Mister," "Riverbanks, Two from Fairlane."  
> ** "To Katipunan, sir."  
> *** "Come on, we're here."
> 
> I might do a sequel to this, if its asked for enough.


End file.
